Recent activities of bandits in the North-West region, especially the blowing off of the Abuja-Kaduna rail panel, have confirmed that they have characteristics of a terrorist group.
The Director-General of Progress Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, made this remark yesterday, noting that it was high time their activities are nipped in the bud.
“All the studies about insecurity and banditry in Nigeria only confirmed that the bandits operating in the North-West and North-Central have all the characteristics of a terrorist groups”, he said, in a statement.
In the statement titled: ‘Nigeria’s Insecurity and Communication Problems’, he also berated those urging the Federal Government
not to brand them as terrorists.
“Interestingly, apologists and self-appointed counsels to the bandits, such as Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, are becoming more confident, and are irresponsibly mobilising opposition against declaring bandits’ terrorists”, he said.
While noting that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is doing its best to tackle the raging security challenges, he condemned a situation where some local and foreign media present the government as standing aloof in the face of current security challenges.
He stated for instance that the government is mobilising the armed forces and ensuring they are up and doing, even as he called on the government to do more especially in its information management.
This, according to him, it can do by ensuring that reports of events by all credible media platforms conform to some minimum verifiable standards.
He added that the new regime of problem-solving information management should seek to strengthen national compliance to existing statutory provisions in the country.
The APC chieftain urged the party and its government to develop some coordination structure with the objective of creating both generic and implied messages aimed at communicating initiatives of APC-led government to resolve challenges of insecurity.
“It is important that the capacity of designated structures and functionaries to promote messages that mobilise Nigerians, which ensure that the understanding and causes of events form an integral part of messages as well as recommendations of what is required to solve any possible associated problems triggering the event”, Lukman further said, in the statement.
In the same vein, he urged political leaders and actors to be honest in mobilising responses to challenges.
He further noted that part of the objectives of evolving a new problem-solving information management is to ensure synergy of activities of the party, government and as much as possible major national players in the business of mobilising Nigerians to contribute towards resolving national challenges.
Lukman added that in the context of such a coordinated strategy, there should be some regular consultations to review national challenges and develop common strategies.
